


Min Söta Kanin (My Sweet Rabbit)

by kuv28



Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Amalia is Swedish so Scylla is too, F/F, First arc completed, Mora Witches, Original Character(s), Raelle is a mess when it comes to Scylla, Second arc in the works, Soulmates, Student (Witch) Exchange Program
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24796939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuv28/pseuds/kuv28
Summary: Raelle’s student exchange program at the Mora Witch Academy begins in a few days.Her unit ventures out into the quaint Swedish town to do some last-minute shopping; the blonde-haired witch just wants to get a lunchbox, but when she enters a local crafts store, she ends up getting much more than she bargains for in the form of a chance (or fated?) encounter with a mystifying brunette.***Inspired by Amalia's (Scylla's portrayer's) Swedish roots.
Relationships: Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Comments: 98
Kudos: 267





	1. Kanin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I hope all is well. 
> 
> Lately, I’ve been watching too much content of Amalia/Scylla for my own good and couldn’t get this out of my head. Who am I kidding? There will never be too much XD
> 
> Thanks for your interest!

_*** May 21st, 2019 ***_

  
  


_A swift series of knocks rapped against solid brown oak._

_The three War College students stood outside in the narrow hall, waiting anxiously until they heard a prompt, ‘enter,’ from the other side of the door._

_Abigail took the lead and the rest of her unit followed closely behind._

_The Bellweather unit was greeted by the familiar sight of General Alder’s office. As they moved further into the room, the General’s biddies could be found working on their administrative tasks. The girls recognized most of the elderly women that were stationed throughout, but there were also some new faces since their graduation from Fort Salem two years ago._

_“Ah ladies, welcome,” the sonorous voice of none other than Sarah Alder herself came from the center of the office._

_The girls formed up in front of the mahogany writing desk and gave a crisp salute… well at least Abigail and Tally did; Raelle’s was less formal, but what else could one expect from the laid-back witch?_

_Alder, satisfied with the gesture, nodded and put them at ease._

_“Thank you for coming today. I’m sure this call may have been a surprise for you three. I apologize for taking you out of your studies but this matter needed to be tended to immediately.”_

_“Not at all, what can we do for you general?” Abigail asked confidently, her leadership persona quickly taking over as the unit stood at attention._

_It was safe to say the girls were more than happy for the abrupt stoppage of class when they received the message to head straight to headquarters._

_The training sessions at War College were always brutal mentally and physically, more so than anything the unit had ever experienced during their time at basic training; the hardcore instructors at the college were so strict that they could even give Anacostia a run for her money._

_Bottom line: the girls of the Bellweather unit would gladly take any break that they could get their hands on._

_“I’ve heard you’ve all been performing well at the college,” the general noted. “Excelling in fact. I’ve spoken with your superior officers and they’ve informed me that your scores are unprecedented across the board, especially for second-year students.”_

_“Quite impressive,” she finished, earning abashed faces from the entire unit as they were just complimented by_ **_the_ ** _Sarah Alder._

_Slightly amused, Alder waited for the girls to recover before going on._

_“Over the past month, we have been reconnecting with sister communities around the world. I spoke with several high priestesses and it has been decided that we will be reinstituting our student exchange program. Being that this is the first time in almost a century we are bringing back the tradition, I want the finest unit to represent us for the program.”_

_The girls stared blankly, not entirely sure where the general was going with this._

_“I’ve chosen_ **_your_ ** _unit,” Alder emphasized to get the point across. “Your unit is the one that I believe is most suited to uphold not only the college’s reputation, but also that of the United States Army.”_

_“That’s amazing!” Tally excitedly shouted, earning a couple of disapproving looks from the biddies at the loud outburst. She even received a subtle, yet stern signal from Abigail to tone it down in front of the general._

_“And where will we be going?” Raelle finally spoke up for the first time since her unit entered the office._

_“Mora, Sweden,” Alder began. “It belongs to one of the oldest communities of witches in the entire world. The details are still being discussed, but as of now, you will be spending your final semester of War College at the local academy there.”_

_She suddenly paused before adding, “provided you all want to go...”_

_The girls nodded enthusiastically._

_A semester in another country without War College instructors hounding their asses during lectures and training? Count them in._

_General Alder offered a brief and knowing smile, as if she already knew the outcome of her inquiry._

_“Wonderful. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for you all. I’ve gained unimaginable skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise learned in the U.S and have met many great witches on my travels abroad. Make sure to seize and make the most of your time there.”_

_The girls of the Bellweather unit looked to each other communicating silently, all seemingly on the same wavelength as they nodded in agreement before returning their gaze to the ancient witch in front of them. With a unified breath, they collectively declared..._

  
  


_“We will.”_

  
  


*** January 3rd, 2020 ***

_7 Months Later_

  
  
  


Raelle stared at the pine wood slats holding up the top bunk above her. Their living arrangements were quite similar to that of her old dormitory in basic and gave her bittersweet nostalgia despite being thousands of miles away from home.

The girls arrived on campus the day before; the ten-hour flight to Stockholm and then the four-hour train ride to Mora proved too exhausting as after their brief introduction with their dorm supervisor, they were knocked out as soon as they stepped foot into their room.

_If only we could use salva for long distances,_ the blonde thought.

She rolled onto her side to spot a vacant single bed across the room, its sheets folded neatly with military bed-making rigor. Glancing at her phone with a yawn, she noted it was already late morning.

_I wonder where Tal and Abs went?_

She eventually shrugged and closed her eyes. It was times like these that she embraced the quiet and cherished these brief moments of peace. Lately, she never seemed to have any time to herself, what with being constantly stuck with her unit.

Don’t get her wrong though... she loved her sisters dearly and couldn’t have wished for a better unit. Their training at Fort Salem strengthened the girls’ ties to one another and continued to develop even into their first two years of War College. Raelle knew that she could always count on them for help, and the sentiment was mutual; she would gladly take a Windstrike to the heart for them anyday. 

Having lost her mother at a young age and not quite able to fit in during a significant part of her formative years, enlisting was a blessing in disguise as her assignment to her unit gave Raelle purpose and finally a sense of belonging.

But ever since her _twenty-first_ birthday last month, she couldn’t help but feel the life and relationships she had created over these past few years wasn’t enough. A hollowness still resided in her heart and she couldn’t attribute the reason to why that was. 

Maybe she was just overthinking things... War College was certainly exhausting and she was pretty sure the tiring flight and train ride didn’t help ease her state of mind at all.

_It's probably just stress._

Suddenly Raelle rose from her reclined position and slapped her hands against her cheeks, the impact echoing across the small room.

_Come on Collar, this is your first time out of the country! Stop moping around and get off your ass._

She was about to stand up when an incessant pounding shook the frame of the door and said door subsequently burst open for Abigail and Tally to walk right in.

“Hey shitbird, you still sleeping?” Abigail shouted as she entered the room.

“Yeah, I’m up. Pipe it down will you? Your screeching is gonna wake up the entire dorm.”

“You're the only one still lying in bed at this hour.”

“I’m actually sitting up,” Raelle cheekily replied as she scooched off her mattress, bare feet touching down onto the cold floor.

“What? You know what I meant,” Abigail sighed with exasperation. “Why do you have to be so insufferable all the time?”

“Aww," she mock pouted. "I thought you loved that about me?”

“As if,” Abigail scoffed.

“Okay settle down girls,” Tally intervened as she stepped in between her two sisters before they started something… again. Even after all these years of bonding closer to one another, the two girls always found a way to rile each other up. “We’ve got plans to go into town, remember?”

Raelle’s ears perked up at the news.

“That’s right, I still need to find a lunchbox. Just give me a sec,” the blonde proceeded to put on a pair of fleece-lined leggings from her clothes drawer.

“What the hell is with you and Tupperware?”

“Fuck off Abs.”

The other girl smirked with amusement. “Hurry up then.”

“Come on you two, I saw this spot where we should definitely have lunch. I want to be there before it gets crowded.” Tally walked up to Abigail and nudged her out the way they came in and then looked down to Raelle, who was still tying her boots. “Come on slowpoke, we'll wait for you outside.”

Raelle rolled her eyes playfully as she finished tying her winter boots and pulled on her standard issued training uniform jacket.

“Alright, let’s go,” she replied, before promptly shutting the door behind them. 

***

The Mora Witch Academy wasn’t too far from the town center so the walk was fortunately a short one, but the distance traveled took nothing away from the beautiful scenery that surrounded the municipality.

Mora sat in the small junction separating the northern shore of Lake Siljan and the southern shore of Lake Orsa, the former being one of the largest lakes in Sweden. 

Thankfully, Tally wasn’t in her daring moods today and decided to go to a popular fast food dive. As they ate, they admired the breathtaking view of Lake Siljan as pristine snow settled on thin sheets of ice.

In fact, Mora looked like a winter wonderland as snow covered the entire town, revealing a delightful visual contrast due to the leftover decorations from the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. It was a charming little place and reminded Raelle a lot of Salem; the town was small, but if you trekked out in any direction, you could find yourself enveloped in the comfort of flat farmland and large sprawling forests.

The locals were welcoming as soon as the unit crossed into the town limits. Smiles and waves were traded here and there almost at an alarming rate. The people’s overwhelming kind-hearted nature unhindered the American soldiers, but now the girls understood why the European nation was ranked within the top ten for the world's most happiest country for a reason.

“I wonder why they keep staring at us,” Tally said aloud to no one in particular as her eyes were fixed on the phone in front of her, her thumbs typing furiously on the smartphone device.

“It's a small town apparently,” Abigail explained as they continued to pass more locals, all friendly but with some underlying hesitance. “I’m sure word got out that witches from a foreign military are living in their home for the spring.”

That was one particular aspect of the country that threw the girls off once they received more details from General Alder. Apparently Sweden didn’t have a compulsory military service for witches like the U.S, so it came as a large surprise when Alder told them that the Mora Witch Academy wasn’t a military installation, but rather an institution for purely educational purposes.

It would certainly be an adjustment for the unit; their entire military career so far at Fort Salem and War College was for the duty and sake of their country. All of their training so far was done in order to serve it to the best of their abilities. 

But for their semester abroad? They now had the luxury to put off their burdens for at least the next four months; they could partake in whatever passions they came across and explore a branch of their culture that held endless learning opportunities, not for the increase in their value to the U.S military, but because they personally wanted to pursue it.

At the lack of a response, Abigail peered over Tally’s shoulder, trying to see what had the girl so possessed by the small device. Scanning over the phone’s screen, a Cheshire grin donned her face. 

“Ah, messaging a Mr. Buttonwood I see,” she elbowed Tally’s side lightly, who slapped her shoulder hard in return.

The embarrassed bumbling that ensued out of Tally’s mouth was all worth it in the end.

Said girl recovered from her flustered state and sighed, “can’t I talk to him without your teasing for once?”

Abigail gasped with feigned hurt, “what? It’s your _soulmate_ we’re talking about. Can’t your coven sister be interested in your fated lives together?”

Tally muttered a soft, "whatever,” before going back to her phone and trudging forward. 

  
  


Ah... soulmates.

  
  


Raelle never gave the concept a thought until Tal actually found hers in Gerit. They were cute together and she couldn’t be happier for her sister. The couple was a perfect match and if there was anyone in her unit that deserved some happiness in their lives, it should be Tally.

It was at Beltane during their first year of War College where the fated individuals found each other. The two eventually paired up once the customary dance commenced and by the time the festival came to a close, they had never let go.

To Raelle’s knowledge, there wasn’t a clear way of identifying one’s soulmate. You just knew… or so they say. 

Tal regaled her with an impassioned account of the night that ensued, some details of which Raelle still gagged to this day at the explicit detail; the most important thing her sister said was that it was an instant attraction with Gerit the moment they laid eyes on each other on the dance floor.

Other witches she’s spoken to at the college said they didn’t find out who their soulmates were until after having sex with their partner so who really knows? There wasn’t a one size fits all, not that it mattered to Raelle.

Neither Raelle nor Abigail had yet to find theirs and it wasn’t like she was expecting one to magically appear. Soulmates were actually quite rare; according to _Witch Weekly,_ (don’t let Abigail know she was reading the pop culture magazine or she would never hear the end of it), only 2% of witches actually find their soulmates while the rest moved on, or gave up on the notion entirely. Her mother and father were a perfect example of a union without having been soulmates.

As her coven sisters continued talking about Gerit, it got Raelle thinking.

_Do I have such a person out there? Someone to make me whole?_

Raelle shook her head as a gust of blistering wind blew around her.

  
  
  
  


_Yeah, right._

  
  
  
  


***

As the girls continued to walk around the town’s shopping center, Raelle stopped as a sign caught her eyes. 

_Bjelke’s Crafts and Supplies_

_Bingo._

“Hey,” she called out to the girls ahead of her. “I’m going to take a look in here.”

Abs waved her off with little concern, while Tal nodded, “alright, we’ll meet you over there,” the latter pointing over to a patisserie across the street.

Raelle watched as her sisters walked on before returning her attention to the front of the store. Without further ado, she latched onto the metal door handle and entered.

***

The gentle chimes of the doorbells lightly rang out, announcing her presence to the large store. A concoction of sweet fragrances overwhelmed her senses as she walked further into the cozy establishment, immediately spotting the line of lit floral candles resting on a small table nearby. 

She noted a couple of other customers perusing the merchandise, but otherwise, the craft store was pretty much empty.

Weaving through the maze of aisles, she eventually reached the one she was looking for and was pleased to see a wide selection of food containers.

Picking out a discreet one for herself, she was about to head to the checkout counter when she noticed a bottom shelf holding lunch boxes for kids, one in particular with an outrageously pink and frilly design. 

_Maybe I’ll get this for Abs._

Raelle smirked; she couldn’t shake away the image from her head of High Atlantic carrying the lunchbox like a little preschooler.

_Definitely getting thi -_

  
  


“Hej.”

  
  


Raelle startled at the interruption of her thoughts, dropping the containers onto the floor. The loud clattering drew glances from the other customers wondering about the commotion, but they soon returned to minding their own business.

As the noise settled, containers were soon forgotten as she slowly spun around, following the silvery voice that had called from behind.

Her movement was halted as her chin brushed against the top of a clothed shoulder. She immediately stepped back to put some distance from the person she collided into.

As Raelle looked up to take in the figure before her, the previous smirk she wore from her inside joke disappeared as she was now staring into the eyes of the most beautiful person she’s ever seen. 

Vibrant cerulean blue eyes stared right back at her, the piercing and intense gaze rooting her to the floor. 

At first glance, the stranger oozed confidence and a self-awareness of herself; it was the complete opposite of Raelle when you stripped away her outer shell to reveal a girl that wasn’t entirely sure of her place in the world.

Raelle took in the mysterious girl’s wavy-brown tresses that rested just above lithe shoulders, scanning lower to find that she wore a khaki tan apron smock that accentuated her subtle curves. 

When the blonde returned her attention back to the brunette’s face, Raelle noticed that the other girl was sporting a disarming grin. 

Raelle's face heated with embarrassment as she realized not only was she caught admiring the girl in front of her, but the brunette was checking _her_ out as well.

“Hey…” she ineloquently replied back, almost in a trance as she continued to stare, completely stunned by the other girl.

  
  


_Hey?_ She wanted to strangle herself right then and there. _Really Collar? You can do better than that!_

  
  


The girl in front of her smiled widely.

“Du behöver någon hjälp, liten kanin?”

A light stirring in her stomach fluttered about as the girl’s accent produced a strange reaction within her.

  
  


_Shit._

  
  


“I’m sorry, I don’t speak Swedish,” Raelle ran a hand across her hair in embarrassment.

If the brunette was surprised at the use of another language, she didn’t let on and took it in stride.

“I was asking if you needed any help,” the girl’s melodic lilt enrapturing Raelle the more she listened to it.

“Oh,” Raelle calmed down slightly, trying to look anywhere but the apparent employee and ultimately failing. “I think I’m good. I’m just uh, going to buy these,” she waved a small transparent container and the one she picked out for Abigail.

“I see,” the girl said with minor disappointment, unbeknownst to Raelle, but then the brunette’s eyes suddenly lit up after coming to a decision. 

“Would you care to look at some of Mora’s popular handicrafts?”

“Oh, I think - ” _I’ll just buy this..._ she was going to finish saying, but the eagerness on the alluring girl’s face was something she couldn’t say no to.

_Fuck it._

“Sure, why not?”

The Swede was apparently pleased based on her broadening smile and proceeded to take her hand, leading them towards a sectioned-off room at the back of the store. As Raelle was tugged along, she couldn’t help but notice the nice feeling of the soft hand that cradled her own.

They eventually came to a stop as Raelle was met by three large barrels, each containing an assortment of knives and daggers. She tried looking at the product label but had no idea what it said since it was written in Swedish. 

“These are made by the witches at the academy in our town. We are known for our Mora knives here, especially these _athames_.”

Raelle peered into the barrels and upon a brief glance, she could tell that they were certainly of high quality. Each knife appeared to be personally handcrafted, all of them attuned to the maker as a small _crest_ of sorts marred the hilt or sheathe, or even on the blade itself.

“There’s so many,” she offhandedly remarked, fascinated, and overwhelmed by the various designs.

“Take your time,” the girl assured. “I’m sure there’s one just for you.”

Raelle took a closer look and sifted through the sheathed knives, taking one and unsheathing it to find an immaculate blade with the image of a horse singed into the blade. 

She put it down and took another one.

And another one...

Until she looked through all of the knives and daggers from the three barrels, none of them catching her interest. They were undoubtedly well crafted, but they didn’t feel right to her.

She turned to the other girl and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t think any of them are for me. Not my kind of style I guess.” 

This time, Raelle could spot the frown that now marred the brunette’s face and she wished she could do something to bring back the smile that she was blessed with earlier.

“It’s okay, why don’t I ring you up?”

Raelle herself felt her own kind of disappointment; she would have liked to spend just a little more time with the peculiar girl.

_Stop getting so invested,_ she warned herself. But it may have been already too late.

As she trailed the brunette towards the front counter, a last-minute glance halted her midstep. 

In the corner of the backroom, besides the three barrels she just looked at, there was a small wooden box off to the side covered by a faded tan sheet. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to, no… she _needed_ to check what was inside.

She drew nearer and removed the cloth, dust bunnies flying about in all directions. She waved her hands to brush the floating specks away, finally looking inside. There were more knives to her utter dismay, some looking more rustic than the others. She was about to put back the cover on when a small refraction of light caught one of the knives at the bottom of the box. 

She rummaged through and grasped the one she was looking for. Pulling it out, she was met by an intricately woven leather-wrapped hilt. A small indistinct mark could be found at the bottom, reminding her of almost like a witch’s birthmark; she never saw this pattern before but for some reason, it felt familiar to her. 

Raelle continued to admire the knife as at the center where the hilt met the blade, a single _calla lily_ served as the crest. She balanced the knife with her dominant hand and enjoyed the way it felt in her grasp. 

“Are you still looking?” Came from the brunette. Said girl’s eyes immediately widening when she spotted the knife in Raelle’s hand.

“Where did you get that?” she asked evenly, gathering Raelle’s hand that held the knife.

Raelle was taken aback by the other girl’s sudden interest and change in behavior before answering, “it was in the crate over there. Are these not for sale?”

“Are you sure about this one? Why did you choose this?!”

Raelle yelped as her personal space was invaded after the series of questions were fired one after another, now backed up into the corner whilst the other girl’s body pressed right up against her. She could feel the girl’s breath linger against her own lips as the brunette looked into her eyes... waiting for an answer as Raelle couldn’t help but swallow nervously at the intimidating presence before her.

Now that the two were up so close, she realized she had to tilt her head up slightly; the other girl must have been at least a couple of inches taller than her. 

“I don’t know,” Raelle started to hastily explain, her heartbeat racing at the compromising position. “It was calling to me. As soon as I picked it up, it just felt right compared to the others.”

The brunette continued to stare, eyes discerning as she tried to decipher the enigma that was named Raelle.

Not a minute later, they eventually broke apart, allowing the blonde to breathe a quick sigh of relief and attempt to recenter herself.

Without another word, the brunette took the items in Raelle’s hands and brought them over to the counter. 

Raelle awkwardly walked up to the front, waiting quietly as the girl rang her up.

“What is your name?”

“Sorry, what?” Raelle asked, not expecting the question.

“Your name,” the girl at the register looked up, those deep blue eyes freezing her stock-still.

“Raelle. Raelle, Collar.”

The brunette nodded, silently placing the items in a paper bag and walked around the register counter. They stood only a foot apart as she offered the bag to the blonde.

“Thanks.” She promptly took the bag and realized the athame was placed inside. “Wait, I don't think you charged me for the knife.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s yours now.”

“I can’t take this...”

The brunette closed the distance, assertive eyes looking right into her own. “I insist.”

Raelle looked up and realized the girl wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer and with a sigh, she acquiesced.

“Thank you... and may I have _your_ name?” She mentally pumped her fist in the air for not stumbling for the first time in front of the enchanting girl.

“Scylla.”

_Scylla._ She finally could put a name to the perplexing girl in front of her.

“Scylla…”

Scylla smiled amused. “Just Scylla.”

“Oh ok,” she awkwardly laughed off while once again making an attempt to avoid Scylla's watchful eyes.

“Are you scared of me, min kanin?”

“Wha- what? Of course not…” she quickly brushed off, but as she returned Scylla’s gaze, she swallowed hard as the Swede’s demeanor seemed to turn more domineering.

“I can assure you,” Scylla began as she brought her hand to Raelle’s cheek, lightly tracing her thumb against the scar that ran along the blonde’s jawline. “You have nothing to be afraid of, especially with me.”

The contact made Raelle’s heart skip a beat. Whether it was because this beautiful creature was touching her or because in that very moment she felt like prey, she didn’t quite know.

However, what she _did_ know was that the second she met Scylla, she was immediately swept up by the brunette’s unnerving pace. 

“I, uh…”

She was brought out of her daze when she heard a familiar chime as the front entrance lurched open.

“Hey Raelle, what’s the holdup? Tal’s been saving us a table.”

Raelle tore her attention away from Scylla and spotted Abigail with her hands on her hips, foot tapping the ground looking a little peeved.

“I just finished.” She turned back to Scylla who offered a reassuring smile.

“Go on, I’ll be seeing you soon,” the brunette said with a smile.

“Uh, okay...” she said, not quite sure what to make of Scylla’s statement.

“Alright, come on then,” Abigail took Raelle’s arm and marched her out the door, but not before casting an appraising look at the brunette. Something was off about the girl, and the leader of the Bellweather unit couldn’t decide whether it was a good or bad thing. Either way, it was best they leave for now.

They had reached the end of the block and crossed the street when Abigail let go of her sister’s arm. She noticed Raelle still looking back at the store.

“Uhm, Earth to Raelle…” Abigail waved her hand in front of the short blonde, who failed to react. “Anyone in there?”

“Huh, what?” 

“You were staring off into space. Who's the babe?”

Abigail spotted Raelle blush, reaching all the way to the tips of her ears.

“No one...” she quickly dismissed.

“Sure,” Abigail said unconvinced. “You were literally just staring at her and doing nothing for the past five minutes.”

“Were you stalking me?” she asked with mild surprise. “What did we say about this habit of yours Abs?” She chided teasingly.

“As if.” Abigail quickly shot down the accusation. “She looked like she was ready to devour you right before I came in.”

_Would that be such a bad thing?_ Raelle thought but then shook her head. _Get your mind out of the gutter Collar!_

“Pssh, I can handle myself,” she insisted.

“Of course you can…” Abigail remarked sarcastically. “Come on, Tal's been holding a table for us. You know how she gets sometimes when it comes to food.”

“You mean _all_ of the time.”

Abigail laughed and entered the bakery, but Raelle continued to stand outside.

She had the urge to go back to _Bjelke’s_ and talk with Scylla some more… 'talk' as in being a stumbling mess in front of the brunette more like it; Raelle would have been content with simply standing in the other girl’s presence if she had the chance to. She confused her entirely, but the blonde couldn't help but be drawn to her at the same time.

As Raelle took one final glance across the street, the store now flooding in with more customers, she realized from the moment she first bumped into the brunette, up until they parted...

  
  
  
  
  
  


Scylla’s eyes had never left hers.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Initial thoughts? What's the deal with these witch knives (athames)? Any predictions or questions? Let me know if you're interested in more.
> 
> Btw: Athames are not Swedish, but are drawn from Wiccan culture.  
> 
> 
> Thanks for reading and until next time!
> 
> Vocab:  
> Hej (pronounced hey) = Hello  
> Liten/Min Kanin = Little/My Rabbit


	2. Mora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls' exchange program officially begins and Raelle's mind is occupied entirely by Scylla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I hope everyone is doing well. I'm happy to say that I completed my very first fic and now have more time for this story.
> 
> I've made a couple of minor changes to the first chapter if you're interested in taking a look.
> 
>   
> Otherwise, thanks for the long wait and looking forward to hearing what you think of this one!

*** January 6th, 2020 ***

_Several Days Later_

On Monday, the girls found themselves in the academy’s main auditorium; the spring semester opening ceremony was being held inside and all students would be in attendance.

The size of the room paled in comparison to even the smallest at War College; it seated no more than a couple of hundred people and frankly, reminded Raelle of her old high school gymnasium in her backwater town.

Aesthetically it was a different story as high ceilings with futuristic lighting fixtures hovered overhead and chic art deco walls surrounded them on all sides, as expected of one of the most prestigious witch academies in Europe; Mora Academy was certainly nothing like the public schools back in Chippewa Cession.

  
  


_Goddess forbid_ , the blonde thought as she recalled those dreadful days of her adolescence.

  
  


The auditorium was nearly filled to the brim by the time they arrived, no thanks to another spat between Abigail and herself earlier that morning.

Admittedly, the fault was on Raelle, but she wasn’t going to acknowledge that in front of her unit leader without a fight. Abigail had called her out on her irritable attitude during breakfast, but what could one expect from a gal that didn’t get any sleep over the weekend? 

For the past couple of days, her mind was completely flummoxed by a certain brunette, with every passing second spent replaying their run-in at _Bjelke’s_. She couldn’t exactly pinpoint the reason why she was so drawn to the other girl and it was because of this that she was so frustrated.

Resting on her hip was the athame she received from Scylla. She held onto the leather hilt tightly, hoping the knife would ground her back to a state of calm, but unfortunately, it only spurred her emotions even more so.

_Sure, she’s beautiful. I’ll give her that, but she’s no one special... right?_

Though the more she tried to come up with an argument against her attraction to the brunette, the more Raelle realized she was simply fooling herself.

“Raelle, come on, there are some seats over here,” she heard Tally call over.

The blonde released her grip on the athame and put the images of Scylla far away from her mind as possible, at least for now; there was no doubt those incessant thoughts would resurface later in the day.

She promptly took up a seat next to her sister, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

“Uh, girls... did we miss the memo or something?” Tally offhandedly remarked as her eyes swept across the auditorium.

All the other students were in casual attire while they themselves donned their complete military dress uniform. It was no wonder they were getting several curious glances upon entering the room.

Abigail shook her head. “The High Priestess didn’t mention anything in her letter other than to make sure we attended and see her once it's done.”

Raelle shrugged, “you were the one who told us to go formal in the first place, Tal.”

“I thought we should look our best today, especially since we’re representing our country and school.”

“We don’t need a uniform to look our best,” Raelle pointed out.

“Damn straight,” Abigail voiced aloud and the two rival sisters high-fived each other.

“You two are impossible,” Tally scoffed. She turned away from the useless witches and suddenly her scowl morphed into a mischievous smile as she spotted something off in the distance.

“Hey Raelle, I think you have an admirer,” Tally sing-songed.

Both Raelle and Abigail turned in the direction of where their sister was focused on.

Raelle spotted another blonde-haired witch and a brunette; the pair sat on the opposite end of the row in front of them with the latter flitting back and forth between her friend and the three American witches. As soon as their eyes met, the brunette looked away shyly, huddling closer to the other blonde witch and began to excitedly whisper amongst themselves.

Raelle had to admit, the girl was kinda cute... but nothing compared to _her_ brunette.

“She’s cute,” she casually responded before looking away with disinterest.

“ _Just_ cute?” Tally said surprised. “She’s definitely a ten, make that a twenty out of ten especially with your poor standards.”

“Hey, that was _one_ time!”

“That girl… what was her name?” Tally ignored Raelle’s indignant cry and directed her question to Abigail. 

“Chelsea.”

Tally snapped her fingers in an ‘aha’ moment. “That’s right. Chelsea the crackhead. The chick was completely insane! C’mon Abs,” Tally turned her body to fully face them both, “back me up here.”

“Don’t mind her Tal,” Abigail began as she wrapped an arm around Raelle’s shoulders with a shit-eating grin. “Our Rae Rae here just has another woman in her heart.”

“Get off of me,” Raelle attempted to brush Abigail away who in turn only continued to smirk.

“That’s right…” Tally tapped her chin in thought. “The mystery girl I’ve yet to see. I wonder if she’s a wi - ”

  
  


_*Ding*_

  
  


A single chime rang across the auditorium and instantly the room went silent.

Not a whisper could be heard as everyone around them ceased their conversations immediately, focusing their attention towards the front of the stage.

The three American witches waited with bated breath as the atmosphere had become awfully unsettling. 

The suspense went on for a moment longer until Raelle spotted a shadow in the periphery of her vision.

A woman in an ornate light-blue robe came onto the stage. The ceremonial garb spilled onto the floor, trailing behind her as she walked gracefully to the center. Resting on top of her head was a horned diadem that seemed to radiate an innate source of energy. There was an ethereal air that settled around the woman and it was inarguable that she was the High Priestess of Mora, embodying the spirit of one of the most ancient witches of old.

“God morgon sisters and brothers,” the High Priestess greeted in a clear and soothing voice; Raelle could make out a light accent in the woman’s speech. “Welcome back from the winter holiday. I hope you had a wonderful time with your loved ones and are ready to continue your studies.” 

The High Priestess’ eyes roamed around the auditorium before settling on the Bellweather unit, her piercing gaze putting them in the spotlight without even having said another word.

“Today is a special day. As some of you may already know, we have cousins from America that will be attending Mora for the semester. It has been almost two hundred years since our covens last communicated, but now, we celebrate the renewal of our relationship through reinstituting the witch exchange program. Please join me in welcoming them to our home.”

A round of applause and some cheers subsequently erupted.

The girls of the Bellweather unit smiled in thanks to those around them who continued to clap their hands with hospitality.

_Applaud? Finally, people that get it,_ Raelle began to think. For so long she had to put up with the nonsense back at home. _Thank the goddess above that I won’t have to do that foot-stomp-shimmy for the next few months._

Raelle nudged her elbow into Abigail’s and discreetly whispered as the applause gradually died down. “See? Normal people _clap_ their hands to show approval, no stomping involved.”

Abigail only rolled her eyes as they returned their attention to the High Priestess.

“Now then, åtgärder måste göras för att säkra våra specialstudenter. Vi måste förbli vaksamma…”

The High Priestess had switched back to her mother tongue, and since the girls knew next to nothing of the language aside from a couple of weeks using _Duolingo_ , they understandably tuned out.

It was difficult to make out anything the priestess said, but Raelle could tell the subject brought up was quite serious based on the grim expressions marring the other students’ faces.

Not sure of what to make of it, Raelle shrugged and welcomed back the image of the woman who captivated her daydreams in its entirety. 

***

Not too long after, the ceremony was wrapped up and the girls remained seated as everyone else began to file out of the auditorium.

Raelle spotted the cute brunette passing by who gently waved at her.

She waved back out of politeness and eventually, got up from her seat and followed her sisters towards the front where the High Priestess stood waiting.

“High Priestess Nyström,” Abigail took over the introduction for the unit as they drew nearer. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah, Abigail is it? And please,” Nyström addressed the three of them. “Call me Morgan.”

As her sisters engaged the High Priestess with small talk, Raelle took a moment to quietly observe the Mora Coven’s matriarch.

Now that she had an up and close look at High Priestess Morgan, the witch seemed to appear several years younger compared to General Alder. High Priestesses were known for their longevity and rumor has it that Morgan was older than Alder by several hundred years, but as Raelle looked around them, there was no biddy entourage in sight or anything else out of the ordinary that could suggest such a similar conduit of power. The only thing that stood out was the subtle yet exquisite diadem resting on the priestess’ head.

“And you must be Raelle,” High Priestess Morgan’s voice tore the witch in question from her inner musings. “I hope Mora and her citizens have treated you well so far. A blessing of good fortune upon you.”

Raelle only offered a curt ‘thank you’ in response.

The High Priestess stared for a moment before nodding, realizing she wasn’t going to get much conversation out of the blonde witch. “Now then, I would like for you all to meet someone.”

As if on cue, a figure off to the side of the stage entered into view: a young man of Eurasian descent.

“This is Adil. He is a… recent hire that will be giving you a tour of the academy and showing you around the area for the next week. If you have any questions or need anything throughout the semester, he will be the one to go to.” High Priestess Morgan turned to Adil, “I must return to the council. I will leave everything to you from here.”

Adil nodded straight-faced.

“Goddagens,” she bid them all a good day as she made for the exit.

Once the High Priestess was out of sight, the girls now stood alone with Adil in the empty auditorium. 

Raelle couldn’t help but notice the look of intrigue swirling in Abigail’s eyes as her sister approached their guidance counselor and stuck out a hand.

“Bellweather, Abigail,” her sister weirdly introduced herself as she always does when her romantic (or mostly carnal) interests for someone were piqued.

Raelle rolled her eyes.

_Here we go again..._

Adil went to shake her hand with a kind-hearted smile; all pretense of the serious demeanor in front of the High Priestess from before vanished in an instant, revealing a warmer individual in front of the three witches.

“Adil. It’s nice to meet you...” his eyes lingered on Abigail for a second longer than normal before quickly recovering, “it’s nice to meet _all_ of you. Are you ready for the tour?”

While Raelle and Tally nodded with some enthusiasm, the two sisters did not fail to notice Abigail giving off her trademark salacious smirk as she answered…

  
  


“I’m looking forward to it.”

  
  


***

  
  


They had just exited the library, one of the larger buildings on the academy grounds. Never before had the girls of the Bellweather unit witnessed the sight of bookshelves filled with an endless amount of Seed scrolls and ancient tomes. Tally was gushing about learning more history of other covens as they left the library and vowed to return once they got settled into their routine for the semester.

Even Raelle was impressed by the sheer volume of information available to them. At home, their War College instructors were the main sources of knowledge, with texts hard to come by if they wanted to learn anything outside of the curriculum.

  
  


“So Adil, where are you from?”

  
  


Since they embarked on their tour, Abigail had been actively striking up a conversation with Adil. While the pair seemed to be in their own little bubble, Raelle was happy to sit back and leave them to their own devices as her eyes took in more of the new environment.

“Nowhere specifically...”

Adil immediately spotted Abigail’s puzzled look upon his answer before clarifying, “my people are a nomadic tribe from the Himalayas. We haven’t been tied down to one location ever since I was a child… especially now,” he muttered softly.

“And what brings you to Mora?”

Adil noticeably paused at the question, stopping the group in their tracks. He looked at the women in front of him, searching their faces and deliberating whether or not they could be trusted with such personal information.

They seemed trustworthy enough, but so did everyone else his people had come across. For now, he would leave out some of the more important details.

“The Tarim has many ancient trade secrets that nations and special interest groups would like to get their hands on. Many have offered asylum in the guise of hopefully obtaining our songs. It wasn’t until we came across High Priestess Nyström that we knew we could finally trust someone who didn’t have a hidden agenda.”

“That’s terrible,” Abigail garnered an earnest expression of sympathy. “I’m sorry your tribe had to go through what they did, but based on what I’ve seen so far of Mora and her people, the Tarim is in safe hands.”

The optimism in her words was not lost on Adil as he appreciated the sentiment and gave Abigail his thanks.

The group padded through a light snow-covered lawn and eventually arrived back at the girl’s dorm. Adil led them inside and they trekked through several winding corridors.

As they passed other witches through the dormitory halls, the three noticed everyone greeting Adil.

“You’re quite popular around here,” Abigail plainly noted as they were stopped several times by other witches to offer an “innocent” ‘hej’ to the handsome man.

Raelle smirked and Tally gave her a knowing look, confirming both had read into the annoyance by their sister’s irked tone.

A couple of minutes later they entered a vacant study room, following Adil’s lead and taking up seats around the table in the center.

As the witches got themselves situated, Adil reached around to pull out several pamphlets from his khaki satchel and subsequently passed them out.

“Here are some standard information pamphlets that I’m obligated to give you but everyone ends up tossing out.” They all chuckled at that, knowing they had been guilty of this at some point in time during their education.

“What _is_ important, however, is the last two sheets.”

Raelle found the pieces of paper which read respectively, ‘Tentative Schedule’ and ‘Spring Electives,’ at the top.

The three witches compared schedules, realizing they had the exact same core courses except for one open elective slot. 

There was also one glaring omission that Abigail immediately brought up.

“What time is training?”

Adil looked back at her, genuinely confused.

“You know, _sparring_?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Adil apologized for his brief mental lapse, which Abigail immediately wrote-off as incredibly cute. “We don’t have that here as a major course. We tend to stray away from our powers’ military applications and primarily focus on learning for the betterment of society and the whole person.”

“However…” Adil reluctantly added. “The academy acknowledges that with the growing hostile environment created by rogue organizations lurking in the shadows, we need to protect ourselves. There is an elective if you are interested in taking that up.”

Abigail nodded, but truth be told, although they knew attending Mora came with the possibility of not having any kind of mandatory physical training, the confirmation was amazing to hear. 

Clearly the American witches hit the jackpot when accepting General Alder’s offer.

With her question answered, Adil followed up, “while your core classes were picked out by the administration, you have some freedom over what elective you can choose from.”

On that note, Raelle took a brief glance at the list of electives...

_Conjuration and Familiars, Divine Foresight, Dreamcraft and Dreamworks, Glamour Illusions..._

The list went on and almost overwhelmingly so. Raelle didn’t realize half of these skills were even possible for a witch to learn and for once, started to get excited at the prospect of expanding her healing abilities outside of the conventional ways taught in War College.

“How’s the ‘Medicinal Herbology’ course?”

“It's one of the better electives to choose from. The class spends most of its time going out into the nearby forests, learning and creating tonics and remedies for various ailments. My sister Khalida is enrolled in the class if you decide to take it.”

Raelle nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

“There’s no need to decide right away,” Adil assured. “The first day of classes for you three won’t start until the following week.”

The young man suddenly checked his watch and promptly rose from his seat.

“Speaking of my sister, I have to head out now. I’ll be seeing all of you tomorrow for a trip into town.”

“Oh, we’ve already gone to tow- Ow!” Tally yelped in pain as she was interrupted by a sharp kick to her shin.

Abigail smiled innocently to an unaware Adil as he looked back with concern and she simply replied, “can’t wait.”

Adil smiled back before eventually leaving the room.

Tally rubbed her leg soothingly before giving an annoyed look at their unit leader.

“Can’t wait?” she mocked. “If you wanted to spend more time with him, you should have just said so. Give a sister a warning would you?”

“I didn’t want to make it obvious that I was into him.”

“Something tells me he won’t be like most of your boy toys,” Raelle commented as she flitted back and forth between the pages of the info guides.

“Well, I like a challenge,” Abigail stated as if it was a matter of fact.

Tally huffed, slightly less bitter as the sting from the bruising hit wore off. She considered her sister's words and couldn’t argue about the claim.

“That you do…”

  
  
  


*** January 13th, 2020 ***

_One Week Later_

  
  


The rest of the week went by relatively quickly as most of the time was spent going on trips into town and personally meeting the locals that ran it. The girls could now say that they were familiar with their surroundings and were acclimating nicely to their new home for the next four months.

Adil accompanied them for the first couple of days, taking the three witches to the best spots in Mora and informing them of what places to avoid.

The young man had been a great resource all throughout their orientation period and they could see why all the other witches in the academy liked him. His benevolent character was hard to dislike and attracted many around him, including Abigail whose plans on seducing him backfired as it seemed like _she_ was the one to be ensnared by the naturally charming man.

Once it was no longer necessary for the whole group to go out together, Abigail and Adil were almost inseparable and continued to meet without Tally and Raelle.

Abigail didn’t know it yet, but her sisters could already see that she was already in too deep.

Meanwhile, Tally and a somewhat willing Raelle hit all the best food dives in Mora and even ventured out to a neighboring town for the rest of that week.

Although she didn’t share the excessive enthusiasm for food as her sister did, what the blonde-haired witch _did_ look forward to was their return trip home as each outing meant they had to walk through town on their way back to the dorms. 

In other words, they also had to pass by _Bjelke’s_.

Every time they passed by the crafts store, Raelle would take a quick peek through the window hoping to catch a glimpse of the brunette that constantly plagued her mind. She was disheartened, however, as each attempt was met by a lack of an appearance from Scylla. 

She spent the weekend again wondering where Scylla was and before she knew it, Monday had arrived and therefore, the first day of class.

***

Raelle wasn’t sure what to expect from her unit’s ‘History of the Mora Witches’ course. Going into it, she would have expected a yawn-inducing flowery narrative of the coven’s rise to prominence, founded upon a grassroots collective of peaceful witches.

Oh, how wrong she was…

Immediately into the first lecture, it turns out the Mora Coven was built around blood and strife. 

In the 1600s, stark claims of the Mora witches seducing hundreds of children and sending them to an island to take part in satanic sabbaths raged about the nation. In reality, the witches were taking in orphaned children and supporting them in an unprecedented social effort for its time.

However, nothing could change the irrational minds of humans who feared what they wanted to see. Witch hunts ensued and eventually, 84 of the _85_ member coven were publicly tried, tortured, and executed.

The sole surviving coven member was the one and only Morgan Nyström, who unleashed her wrath and fury upon the false accusers and their supporters. She witnessed the eradication of her coven in one single swoop, an event that no human or witch could possibly come out sane.

So the day she decided to exact her revenge, was the same day she slaughtered the townspeople and military garrison that enforced the trials. Some historians claim that blood rained down upon the entire country for months until the Swedish King yielded, issuing a decree that put an end to the persecutions altogether.

As Raelle looked back on the lecture, she couldn’t put two and two together as the depiction of the woman in the historical texts greatly differed from the High Priestess she had met at the opening ceremony; High Priestess Morgan appeared to uphold values of a pacifist nature, not one of retribution and needless bloodshed.

Raelle figured that everything the Mora Coven matriarch had gone through in the past, shaped the coven’s contemporary ideology promoted today, one now revolving around the need for transparency and unity.

“That shit was crazy,” Abigail exclaimed as they exited the classroom.

Her sisters nodded in agreement.

“Who knew High Priestess Morgan was so…” Tally paused her thought, not finding the right word to explain what the hell they had just learned about the Mora Coven.

“Ruthless? Badass?” Abigail offered.

“I guess all of the above... but she was so nice when we met her though!”

“It’s always the nice ones that you have to watch out for,” Raelle cautiously brought up.

“That’s true.” Tally replied and immediately went to move the conversation to a lighter subject. “So, what are we doing for the rest of the afternoon?”

Fortunately for them, their course load for the semester wasn’t too heavy. While their education was certainly a priority, immersing themselves in a new culture and meeting new people were equally as important. With the amount of free time they now had, they could enjoy their time abroad without the stress of studying weighing down on their shoulders.

“Well, I’m meeting up with Adil in an hour.”

“Seriously? You’ve been spending more time with him than your _lovely_ sisters. What the hell are you two even doing anyway?”

“Probably each other,” Raelle snickered and while Abigail would typically agree with her blonde sister's jibe with pride, she didn’t respond and looked away slightly embarrassed.

Tally observed the lack of response and immediately tried to rationalize the unusual behavior.

“Wait a second. Are you telling me he’s thwarted all of your advances?! Goddess above Abigail, he’s got you wrapped around his finger doesn’t he?”

“What are your plans with Adil later today?” Raelle stared at Abigail unwaveringly, making it known that she wasn't going to let the issue go as she tried to fish out the information.

“We’re…” Abigail looked away with a light blush spreading across her cheeks. “We’re having a picnic by the lake...” she eventually answered.

“Goddess that’s cute!”

“That’s some domestic shit right there.”

“Ignore her,” Tally brushed Raelle’s comment aside. “Fine, you can go ahead on your date, but we’re having Sister’s Night tomorrow. Got it?”

Abigail seemed to shake off whatever flustered emotions she experienced as she answered calmly, “alright.”

The unit continued walking along the hall and the group reverted to a comfortable silence.

“Not even a _kiss_?”

“Tal, I love you, but shut up.”

Raelle smirked at her sisters’ antics; it was truly never a dull moment with them around.

She led the group as they prepared to round the corner, but just as she stepped out of the intersection, her chin slammed into the jut of a shoulder.

Raelle took a step back and slammed into her sisters right behind her.

“Ooof,” Tally exclaimed as she took the brunt of the impact.

“Hey shitbird, watch where you’re going.”

“It’s not my fault, I was trying to avoid - “

She was interrupted by a soft laugh, making her still on sight.

“We have to stop meeting like this kanin.”

Raelle looked up to seek out the familiar voice and only one word crossed her mind as she now stood face to face with her brunette.

  
  
  


“Scylla...”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Immediate thoughts or questions? 
> 
> Surprised by Adil's inclusion? What was up with the High Priestess when she addressed the rest of the students in Swedish? (The translation is at the bottom)
> 
> Any suggestions on what electives Abigail and Tally should take? The next chapter should be up soon!
> 
>   
> Thanks for reading and until next time.
> 
> Vocab:  
> God morgon = Good morning
> 
> åtgärder måste göras för att säkra våra specialstudenter. Vi måste förbli vaksamma…  
> steps need be taken to protect our special students. We must remain vigilant…


	3. Yearning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the long wait, Raelle finally sees Scylla again but it always seems like the brunette is out of her reach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I hope everyone is well. This chapter picks up right where we left off.
> 
> Looking forward to hearing what you think!

*** January 13th, 2020 ***

  
  


“Scylla…” Raelle softly whispered, suddenly finding herself breathless.

  
  


The blonde stood rooted to the floor in mild disbelief. She wasn’t expecting to bump into Scylla in the halls of her main classroom building of all places, but then again...

  
  


_“Go on. I’ll be seeing you soon.”_

  
  


_Was this what she meant when I last saw her?_

  
  


Several more seconds passed before Raelle finally registered she was _now_ face-to-face with her brunette; after wanting to see Scylla for so long… 

_Okay, maybe it was just a couple of weeks_ , she quickly retraced, but what mattered most was that Scylla was finally here in front of her!

Raelle’s whole demeanor changed immediately, brightening at the realization with a bolt of energy coursing through her veins.

Scylla seemed to mirror Raelle’s excitement as the Swede beamed with delight at having been remembered by the blonde.

  
  


If only they both knew how much time they had spent thinking of the other since their first encounter.

  
  


“ _Ahem_ ,” she heard the guttural clearing of a throat from behind her. 

Raelle whipped her head around with a glower on her face.

“ _What?_ ” She promptly whispered at an unimpressed Abigail, slightly annoyed after being brought out of her pleasant musings revolving around the brunette in front of them.

“You’re staring,” Abigail plainly pointed out, her hushed voice out of reach from everyone except for her sisters.

  
  


“…”

  
  


“Oh,” Raelle uttered before taking a small step back to compose herself. 

The blonde shook her head with worry. She was already getting swept up by Scylla’s pace again without the other girl having to do a thing. What the hell was she walking into?

_Get a fucking grip Collar._

“Thanks,” she offered a quick reply of gratitude before returning her attention back to Scylla, who was now sporting an amused grin.

“What are you doing here? You attend Mora too?” Her voice was clearly not adept at holding in her eagerness for answers.

“In a sense,” the Swedish girl began. “I graduated last year and didn’t really know what I wanted to do right after. An opportunity came up and now I’m working as a teacher assistant for a couple of classes.”

“Oh, but what about when I saw you at the crafts store?”

“I was working there part-time,” Scylla answered.

Raelle nodded, quietly processing the new information about the mystifying _witch_ in front of her.

At the same time, Scylla’s eyes traveled down the blonde’s figure before settling on the girl’s waist, another smile starting to form on her face.

“I see you have the athame,” the other witch said whilst pointing towards the knife attached to Raelle’s hip.

Raelle brought her attention to the item in question before replying, “I haven’t parted with it ever since.”

Adil had been standing off to the side of the group, observing the interaction with vague interest when his eyes suddenly widened with surprise, lingering on the athame before flitting back and forth between Raelle and Scylla.

“I’m glad you ended up liking it. I - “

“Scylla.” 

Raelle’s head turned to follow the no-nonsense voice that called out next to them. 

It was only until now that she realized Scylla wasn’t alone, as standing a few steps behind her brunette was a young man with short light-brown curly hair.

“Come on, we’ll be late for our staff meeting.”

“Give me a minute,” Scylla replied. “You can go on ahead first if you want.” 

The young man noticeably frowned, not expecting the brunette’s quick dismissal. His eyes moved erratically and in a last-ditch attempt to get them on their way, he quickly indicated, “you know we shouldn’t keep the _High Priestess_ waiting.”

Scylla seemed to mull over her companion’s words and sighed, reluctantly acknowledging that he was right; being late for a staff meeting was a no-no, especially with High Priestess Morgan in attendance.

A little disheartened, she subsequently returned her gaze back to Raelle.

“Look, I have to leave but I’ll see you around, okay?”

It would be a lie if Raelle wasn’t slightly disappointed that the other witch had to part ways, but she understood given the situation. 

At least she knew there was an underlying promise that they would meet again soon.

“Yeah, for sure. It seems like you have more important places to be so - ” 

“ _Never_ ,” the brunette immediately interrupted.

“Wha - ?” But before Raelle could receive some clarification concerning the firm declaration, Scylla was already on her way towards the exit with her colleague on her trail.

The surrounding ambiance of the classroom hallway had slowly filtered back in as soon as Scylla’s form was out of her sight: the clang of lockers opening and shutting closed, the squeak of wet footwear against the laminated floors, and the idle chatter amongst nearby witches… her sisters included.

“Well, that was weird… again,” Abigail noted as she came to a stop right next to Raelle.

“You didn’t tell me your mystery girl was _gorgeous_!” Tally gawked, apparently connecting the dots that Scylla was indeed the girl Raelle was smitten by.

The two witches lasered in on their speechless sister, waiting for a response.

For Raelle’s part, she felt like she was coming down from a high. 

Simply standing around Scylla was like being on cloud nine, but as soon as the witch had left, Raelle needed more of the brunette to sustain the level of euphoria she was currently experiencing.

So when she sluggishly came out of her disoriented state, she could only conjure a single word.

  
  


“Yeah.”

  
  
  


*** January 16th, 2020 ***

_Thursday_

  
  


A few more days passed without much fanfare.

The girls had gone about attending a couple more of their registered courses, going through the usual motions of a class's first session: introductions, going over the syllabus, and sitting through a potential lecture until the end of the period. If they were lucky, students were let out of class early as soon as the instructor had gone over the syllabus and answered any lingering questions about the curriculum.

Raelle had been on the receiving end of this good fortune for her last two classes, but it proved to be a double-edged sword. 

To her surprise, she now found herself with even more time on her hands this week. Thus, her thoughts ran wildly rampant, flooding her head with only one thing on her mind: Scylla.

Quite frankly it scared her that after only two encounters with the brunette, she was all Raelle could only think about and while she would gladly let it take her over, the blonde needed to clear her head from time to time.

Back home, whenever something was on her mind she could always throw herself into training. It was a physically demanding distraction, but a distraction nonetheless that took her worries and restlessness away. 

But here at Mora? There was no such mandate for training so she could do nothing but let her thoughts swirl around unchecked.

_Damn, I need a hobby._

  
  
  


“ _Kanin_.”

  
  
  


Raelle’s ears perked up at the moniker and immediately looked up from her seat, searching for Scylla only to find Abigail burst out laughing.

“Geez Rae,” Abigail began whilst cracking up, tears of laughter on the verge of escape. “She’s got you whipped good.” 

“ _Ha_ , _ha_ , _very_ funny,” she said unamused, promptly picking up a carrot stick and chucking it across the cafeteria table.

Abigail had seen the move coming and with her honed reflexes, caught the small carrot with her hand and proceeded to eat it.

“You know, you should just ask her out.”

“Easier said than done,” Raelle cooly remarked, uninterested in her sister’s advice as she took an angry bite out of her sandwich.

Don’t get her wrong. 

Raelle wanted to see Scylla more than anything. She couldn’t shake off the building desire within her to see the brunette but ever since their last run-in, Scylla was nowhere to be seen... again.

She had even asked Adil for some help when the group had stopped at a cafe the other day...

***

_“Hey Adil,” Raelle asked as they walked over to pick up theirs and her sisters’ orders. “Do you know much about Scylla?”_

_Adil went to pick up two of the drinks on the counter before answering._

_“I only know she was a senior when my tribe arrived in Mora. We work in different departments so I do not know much.”_

_“Oh, do you at least know where I can reach her then?”_

_“Sorry, I cannot help you there,” the young man shook his head, but then paused midstep. “But you could maybe ask Porter. He's another teacher assistant at the academy, the one that was with Scylla a few days ago," he clarified. "He’s usually hanging out in the student lounge.”_

_Raelle pondered over Adil’s advice. While she was hesitant to do so, it wasn’t like she had any other leads at the moment._

_“Alright thanks, I’ll think about it.”_

***

A loud thump could be heard as something hard suddenly hit the table.

Raelle looked across to find Tally slumped over with her forehead pressed up against it.

“Something wrong Tal?”

Tal groaned and tilted her head to the side.

“It’s Gerit.”

“Trouble in paradise?” Abigail teased, but her smirk waned as she noticed her sister not taking the bait as usual.

“His ex-fiancée’s family is pissed. The arranged marriage had come with several under-the-table agreements between them. The Saint's are now demanding some kind of reparation from the Buttonwood's.”

“You’re his _soulmate_ , surely they understand that.”

Tally looked at her sister and shook her head dolefully.

“I don't think so. According to the Saint’s, a deal is a deal.”

Abigail nodded at the news. 

Hailing from an esteemed family like the Bellweather’s, she knew of the bureaucratic bullshit that went down amongst the elite behind the scenes.

“So what now?” Raelle asked.

Tally’s sigh deepened.

“I don’t know, I’m waiting to hear back from Gerit, but he hasn’t responded.”

“Don’t worry,” Abigail rested a hand along the girl’s back and kneaded soothingly. “I’m sure everything will work out.”

“Thanks,” Tally muttered, but despite the confidence in her sister’s words, it wasn’t as comforting as she would have liked.

Sighing further into the table, she eventually resigned herself to the uncertainty of the situation. Only time would tell if things would sort themselves out in their favor, but the thing was…

  
  


Waiting was the worst part.

  
  
  


*** January 17th, 2020 ***

_The Next Day_

  
  


Raelle walked into the brightly lit room, immediately met by various flora of all kinds, many of which she had never seen before. They lined the entire perimeter of the room creating a naturally vibrant look to the classroom compared to the ones she had been in so far. 

Botany charts and intricate diagrams detailing the molecular level of plants and herbs were hung up on the walls as well, most likely to be referenced throughout the semester no doubt.

She was excited to finally take part in her Medicinal Herbology elective. It was a rare opportunity to advance her skills as a healer and while most of her sisters back home would fall asleep at the prospect, she was going to take full advantage of it.

She walked further into the room, searching the back row for a seat as was customary for her. She paused in her search, however, after noticing that all of the tables were full.

She circled around before setting her eyes on the last empty seat in the front row.

It wasn’t ideal, but she’d put up with it for today; she made a mental note to come early next class to steal another witch’s seat before it became de facto claimed for the rest of the semester.

She walked towards the front, pulling out the vacant seat from under the two-student desk and eventually sat down.

Several soft coughs sounded off to her left so she turned in her seat to investigate. Another witch sat next to her...

  
  


She immediately did a double-take.

  
  


Surely the _child_ sitting next to her was lost. She couldn’t be any older than a middle schooler, let alone a student that attended an academy for witches at the university level.

“Uh, hi,” she approached as if she were speaking to a toddler. “I’m Raelle... are you here for the Medicinal Herbology?”

_Of course she’s not you idiot,_ she mentally chided at herself. _She’s probably the instructor’s kid or something._

The girl gave her an appraising side-eye before turning her gaze towards the window with disinterest.

_Okay…_

Fortunately, the instructor had finally entered the classroom, allowing Raelle to get her mind off the strange girl. 

Though it was only after several student introductions that she realized no one was speaking in English. 

When her turn came around, she awkwardly stood up and introduced herself in her native language. As she sat back down she could feel the curious stares from several witches around her but shrugged it off.

To Raelle’s surprise, her desk mate promptly stood up; the middle of the girl’s stomach was level with the table given her short stature.

“Khalida,” she stated clearly before plopping back down onto her chair.

Apparently, the instructor was satisfied with the introduction as she went on to the next student behind them.

_Khalida..._

Where had she heard that name before? 

Several moments passed before it finally clicked.

“You’re Adil’s sister.”

She now had the attention of the girl in question now, who was not expecting anyone to know her family.

Khalida displayed another coughing fit as more staring ensued, before ultimately turning away with a look of boredom.

Raelle tried not to roll her eyes as she brought her focus towards the front of the classroom. They had finished introductions and the instructor began to go over a slide deck, but to her dismay, everything was still in Swedish.

She groaned. 

Between having to deal with a brat and a class where she understood next to nothing, this was going to be a long three hours.

***

To say she was frustrated would be an understatement. 

She couldn’t follow what the instructor was saying and while she was expecting the class to be in English like all the other classes had been so far, she only had herself to blame for not learning the language; it was still an exchange program in a foreign country after all and she should have prepared for it accordingly. She should have at least learned the basics but failed spectacularly.

_No thanks to fucking Duolingo._

Fortunately, the class was almost done. 

The instructor, Mrs. Andersson, had finished up going over the syllabus and a short lesson that would be followed up next week.

They had a few minutes remaining before the period ended and it seemed like the instructor had one last announcement.

“Innan du lämnar idag vill jag presentera min assistent som hjälper mig under termin.”

_Assistant?_ Raelle picked out the cognate word from all the garble.

As if on cue, several knocks rapped on the door.

_Wait._

Mrs. Anderson called out and the door handle started to turn.

_It couldn’t be -_

Before she could finish her thought, the door opened.

She couldn't tell you why, but as soon as the girl entered the room, everything else didn't matter in that moment. Everything cleared away except for the brunette who had put her life in a tailspin.

The witch she had longed to see came to a stop next to Mrs. Anderson, casually surveying the classroom before spotting Raelle in the front row.

The brunette's eyes lingered for a second longer than the rest, casting a small wave in Raelle's direction before she broke eye contact to address the entire class.

“Hej, jag heter Scylla.”

As her brunette continued to introduce herself and explain her role to the rest of the students, all of Raelle's initial impressions of the class prior to Scylla's appearance flew out the window. If Scylla was here, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Who was she kidding?

Of course it wouldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get some answers on Tal and Gerit's relationship. What do you think of Khalida so far? With Raelle not able to understand anything in her elective due to the language barrier, who's praying for a private lesson with a special someone? *wink* *wink*
> 
> My intention for this story was always to be a short one. I have several more chapters outlined, but I'm not quite sure where I want to take this story after those. I have some things set up that could lead to more material, but let me know. On another note, I do have plans for a long fic that I think could be fun.  
> 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and until next time.
> 
> Translations:  
> "Innan du lämnar idag vill jag presentera min assistent som hjälper mig under termin.”  
> “Before you leave today I want to introduce you to my assistant who will be helping us over the semester.”
> 
> “Hej, jag heter Scylla.”  
> “Hi, my name is Scylla.”


	4. Belonging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle goes on an unexpected field trip. Raelle eventually pops the question (no, not that one). Raelle and Scylla get closer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter picks up where we left off. Looking forward to what you think!

The class promptly ended after Scylla’s brief introduction.

  
  


Raelle followed her classmates out of the room, trailing behind the group to get one last look at the brunette who stayed behind to speak with Mrs. Andersson, no doubt discussing in length her TA duties for the semester.

Medicinal Herbology had been Raelle’s last class for the week and as such, the witch was now free to enjoy the weekend, but with no big plans in store, the blonde was hoping she could hang out with Scylla for a bit.

_Hang out? Since when do you ‘hang out’ Collar?_

The blonde mused quietly as she began making her way back to her dorm.

_But then again..._

Whenever it came to Scylla, Raelle could always find room for an exception.

The brunette however was clearly occupied much to Raelle’s disappointment, so she would have to wait for another chance to get a hold of her. Though not all was lost despite the soft blow in her morale.

Unnoticed by the other witches she passed in the hallway, there was a slight spring in Raelle’s step; she simply couldn’t contain the excitement within her as she mentally fist-pumped in the air.

  
  


She got Scylla’s phone number.

  
  


Okay, fine… she _may_ have ignored the fact that everyone else in her class received the number as well; Scylla had offered it as a way of contact in case any problems during the semester should arise. 

Though while the number handed out wasn’t necessarily for her exclusively, another exchange of meaningful eye contact between them told Raelle otherwise so it was a small victory in her book.

Goddess, it's only been two weeks and Raelle wanted to find out all she could about the brunette.

_Shit._ Abigail’s stalkerish tendencies were rubbing off on her weren’t they?

With a shake of her head, Raelle nevertheless clung to the anticipation of seeing Scylla once again and for the first time in ages, prayed for the weekend to be over with.

  
  


*** January 24th, 2020 ***

_One Week Later_

  
  


The week fortunately flew by and Raelle’s eagerness to see Scylla had only strengthened ever since.

The blonde was even tempted to shoot a short text during the week, but hesitated to such an extent that by the time she eventually decided to reach out to Scylla, the following Friday had already arrived.

Drifting into the classroom right before the bell, she immediately picked out Scylla standing by the front of the class.

The blonde made her way towards the desk she sat in the other week, greeting an already seated Khalida. Much to her surprise, the younger girl offered a cordial nod in response.

_I guess she’s not a complete brat after all._

As soon as she sat down and got situated, Mrs. Anderson spoke to the class and everyone suddenly rose from their seats, beginning to file out of the classroom in pairs.

It took Raelle a moment to get out of her stupor by the unexpected change in course and started to follow the group. 

The language barrier for the class was proving to be a real liability and they hadn’t even learned anything yet; soon enough she was going to be left behind, literally, if she didn’t pick up the language sometime soon.

Khalida and Raelle were the last ones to leave the classroom, the latter of which was pleased to find Scylla waiting by the door.

“Hej,” the Swedish girl smiled as she locked the door. “Are you both ready to head out?”

Khalida simply brushed past and walked a few paces in front of them.

Raelle rolled her eyes and focused her attention on Scylla. “Where are we going?”

“We’re gathering some herbs in the forest for next week’s lesson. Come on,” Scylla urged as they caught up with the class. 

Exiting the building, they were immediately exposed to crisp air and began traversing along the bend of the southern lake.

“How come we’re in pairs?” Raelle inquired, noticing the two loose columns in front of them as she pulled over the hood of her black rain jacket.

“It’s a buddy system, just in case someone gets lost.”

“Do students often get lost on these trips?” She asked half-seriously.

Scylla shook her head. “No, but Rostberg Forest is quite large. We did have a close call last year when one of the students decided to wander off though.”

Raelle nodded and looked for her desk mate. Despite Khalida’s cold demeanor, Raelle felt it was her responsibility to look after the other girl at least for Adil’s peace of mind if nothing else, but truthfully, the younger witch reminded the blonde a little of herself way back when so she couldn't help but want to keep a closer eye on her.

“Don’t worry about her,” Scylla piped up as she closed the small gap between them, threading her arm around Raelle’s. “I’ll keep an eye on both of you,” she finished with a wink.

Heat flooded her cheeks as she felt the secured weight of Scylla’s arm on hers.

She knew there was a Goddess out in the world, but maybe there was a God too if such a fortuitous opportunity like this one was being offered to her.

***

For nearly an hour the class followed a narrow snow-ridden path, finding themselves deep in the Scandinavian forest surrounded by tall spruce trees that loomed overhead, like the gargantuan frost giants Scylla described from one of the tales of her childhood.

The two had taken the time to find out more about the other, exchanging small pieces of information about their lives which generally wouldn’t mean much between two strangers who had just met, but to Raelle, it meant everything to know more about the mystifying brunette walking beside her.

They were easily enraptured by the other, falling into a pleasant dynamic that fed off the natural synergy growing between them with every step taken.

It was only until Raelle heard a familiar series of soft coughs, that the spell between the two reluctantly lifted.

Only five minutes into the trip, Raelle could already tell Khalida was struggling to keep up with the rest of the class; her fits of coughing evident in the blistering cold. As a result, she and Scylla continued to stay back with the younger witch while the class pressed on. 

That was almost an hour ago and Khalida now looked worse for wear with her coughs becoming more aggressive and her breathing heavily labored.

“We can stop to rest if you want. I’m sure Mrs. Andersson will understand,” Scylla offered as Khalida trudged on.

“It’s okay, we’re almost there,” she stubbornly huffed before another coughing fit erupted.

“You should have that checked out once we get back,” Raelle pointed out.

“It’s fine.”

The girl was infuriating and right before Raelle could respond, she begrudgingly held back as she noticed they had finally arrived at their destination.

An unexpectedly large clearing rested before them and if it were not for their intrusion, the blanket of snow covering the area would still be in pristine condition.

Raelle observed their surroundings, noticing the clearing was shaped in a perfect circle, hugging the tree lines around the entirety of its circumference.

_A witch’s circle?_

At first, she brushed the thought away until she realized it was indeed the case. No one could blame her as the witch’s circle was unusually large, spanning several city blocks in diameter.

At the center of the clearing sat a single hardwood tree, its long winding branches barren of leaves; only small shriveled buds laid sporadically throughout.

Mrs. Andersson stood in front of the large trunk, with the class clustered around her as she began detailing a part of her lesson. 

Everyone listened keenly - 

Well... everyone _except_ for Raelle who merely watched politely in order to feign some understanding of the Swedish lecture.

“It’s a magnolia tree,” Scylla’s voice whispered behind her. “Its flowers have special properties that are good for several tonics we’ll be preparing next week.” 

“It looks old…”

Scylla nodded as they gazed up at the ancient tree, its ashen bark having gone through the test of time.

“It’s been here ever since the Mora Coven came to be. In fact, the original members even formed their covenant at this very spot.”

Raelle wasn’t surprised.

As soon as they had entered the witch’s circle, she immediately felt a swell of energy swirling around them; it was a kind of sheer raw power that she had never felt before, licking against her skin as if urging the witch to utilize it into a physical manifestation.

She couldn’t explain the phenomena... until it clicked.

“We’re under a leyline, aren't we?”

Scylla smiled brightly, “you’re right. One of the world’s largest leylines passes straight through here.”

Raelle nodded at the new revelation, simply amazed that they were standing on such a large source of mana.

“So, how are we supposed to extract the flowers when there aren’t any,” the blonde asked, noticing the silvery furred buds throughout the magnolia’s branches still in their dormant state.

“Why don’t you take a look?” Scylla gestured for her to watch Mrs. Andersson, who had finished her speech and was beginning to chant softly.

Everyone fell silent as the older witch’s _words_ flowed clearly, the wind guiding every enunciated syllable across the witch’s circle. 

In the middle of the chant, Raelle suddenly froze and whipped her head towards Scylla.

“She’s not singing… she’s not using seed sounds,” Raelle clarified to the bemused looking brunette.

“We generally use spoken word rather than melodic utterance to channel our power," Scylla confirmed the astute observation. "Although seed sounds have some beneficial applications, words bear significantly more meaning, bridging the gap between us and our natural counterparts even closer.” She briefly paused her explanation before following up, “if I’m not mistaken, witches in the States predominantly rely on seed sounds?”

Raelle merely nodded, still in a state akin to culture shock.

So many emotions were coursing through her as the chanting continued. Ever since she could remember, she had always garnered curious glances back home for preferring spoken word over seed sounds. Her peers never took the time to understand the techniques passed down by her family, her _mother_... immediately writing the blonde off as a country hick with her ‘country hick shit’ as some would colorfully say.

Of course, she couldn’t give a rat’s ass about their opinions. She had a select group of people in her life who supported her and _they_ were all that mattered, but there was always a small part of her that felt insecure about it...

  
  


Until now.

  
  


Despite being in the midst of a group almost entirely made up of complete strangers, Raelle oddly felt a sense of belonging. For the first time in her life, she was finally surrounded by witches like _her_.

The sudden realization made her uncharacteristically bubbly inside.

Attempting to shake off the outlandish sensation, she took a deep breath, recentering herself before bringing her attention back to Mrs. Andersson who had finished her chant.

Several seconds passed with no noticeable change to the tight-lipped flower buds.

Raelle was inclined to think something had gone wrong with the older witch’s chant when suddenly a burst of color emerged, completely overwhelming her sight.

All at once, spectacular white and pink saucer magnolias sprang out instantaneously, producing a soothing aroma that filtered in the air. It was a simple yet distinct sensory experience that made the moment even more memorable.

She felt a soft tap on her shoulder, bringing her out of her awed daze.

Scylla's smile was excitedly bright, with an endearing undertone behind it, unbeknownst to the blonde. “So, shall we get to picking then?”

Raelle could only share the brunette’s sentiment as the rest of the class started getting to work.

“Let’s go.”

  
  


*** February 15th, 2020 ***

_Saturday Afternoon - One Month Later_

  
  


Raelle laid along the plush couch, gazing up at her phone. She was glaring at it with a passion, occasionally fidgeting with the cellular device as she flipped it back and forth between her fingers.

Her sisters sat around a large wooden table, working on their respective assignments. The three American witches had booked out one of the private study rooms for a few hours that afternoon to catch up on some work and prepare for midterms.

“What’s up with you?” Raelle heard her unit leader call out.

“Nothing,” she tersely answered.

“Nothing’s always something,” Tally offhandedly quipped, her focus primarily on the old manuscript in front of her.

Abigail turned around in her chair, drawing the attention of the blonde witch.

“Just ask her out already.”

“I will,” Raelle replied, but even she herself could hear the waver in confidence.

“Then do it, you’ve been staring at your phone for the last hour.”

“Ugh,” she groaned in exaggerated fashion, subsequently rolling further into the couch.

With _her_ history, asking someone out should have been a breeze, but when it came to Scylla, it was a different matter entirely.

Over the past month, they had been in constant communication with each other. 

Their field trip to Rostberg Forest was a turning point in their... friendship? Relationship? The blonde honestly didn’t know what this was between them. 

If they weren’t seeing each other for her mandated (and more importantly _private_ ) language lessons in her class’s after-hours, they would chat endlessly throughout the day, displayed through the long threads of text messages on her phone.

The time shared between the two exceeded all of Raelle’s expectations but frankly, she wanted more than just interactions on an academic level, and certainly beyond the non-physical realm of media interaction.

The status of their relationship was a precarious one as they were teetering on the edge of a cliff, currently standing on a semblance of what could be considered a budding friendship, whilst a brave leap could plunge them into something different entirely... and possibly even something much _more_.

The blonde had been stalling all this time, freaking out more than was necessary for her own good. 

_Goddess, I’m acting like a fucking teenager._

Abigail and Tally for their parts have been hounding her to no end. Enough was enough. Maybe it was about time she took that leap of faith.

  
  


So she did.

  
  


_R: Hey, want to grab dinner sometime?_

“There, I sent it.”

“And? You want a cookie?” Abigail asked, laced with sarcasm that was unappreciated by the blonde.

Raelle simply gave her sister the finger before returning her attention back to the phone.

Usually the brunette was quick to respond, but several agonizing minutes ticked by until suddenly... she heard the soft jingle of her phone.

“Hello?”

“Hej,” Scylla answered. “Sorry I didn’t reply, I was finishing up with some work. Plus... I wanted to hear your voice.”

“...”

_What the fuck?!?_ This girl was going to be the end of her at this rate and she’d be completely okay with it.

“So, uh…” she attempted to get out of responding to the statement. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner.”

“Like a date?”

“Only if you want it to be.”

_Yes Collar, put the ball in her court._

“...”

Raelle could only hear silence on the other end of the line. She was about to repeat her question when she eventually heard a soft reply.

“Okay.”

“Okay? Great! When are you free? I was thinking tomorrow if that’s good.”

“I’m a bit busy tomorrow, how about tonight?”

Raelle checked the time.

_Tonight?_ Did she have enough time to mentally prepare?

“Oh, yeah. I guess that works too.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon Kanin.”

As soon as the call ended, Raelle let out a sigh of relief before smacking her head and smothering herself into the couch cushion.

_What did I just get myself into..._

  
  


***

  
  


“I can't do this…” Raelle softly whispered at her reflection of the closet mirror. “I knew I should have held off for another day.”

“Stop panicking Rae, I’m sure it's going to be fine.”

“I mean, what if it just ends in a complete disaster?” Raelle ignored her sister's voice. 

“Damn, I’ve never seen you so nervous,” Abigail responded and got up from the reclined position on her bed, realizing her sister was in need of a boost in confidence.

She now stood a couple of feet from the blonde.

“Come on, who’s the shit?”

Raelle stared blankly at her unit leader.

“Uh, what?”

“ _You’re_ the shit. Come on, say it.”

“Are you high or something?”

Abigail ignored her with an unamused expression.

“ _Who’s_ the shit?” Abigail pressed again, this time pushing the shorter witch, the action of which attempted to get her sister’s endorphins pumping.

“You got this,” Abigail continued, seeing Raelle’s body language start to relax. “You’re gonna go out tonight and sweep your girl off her feet.”

“She’s not my girl.”

“Not yet, she isn’t. Come on,” Abigail urged. “ _Who’s_ the shit?!”

“I’m the shit,” Raelle began weakly, relenting to her sister's pep talk.

“Come on, louder! Who's the shit?!”

Another push from Abigail soon brought Raelle’s game face on.

“ **I’m the shit!** ”

“Yeah you are,” Abigail finished, busting out with a large grin.

“Uh, what the hell is going on?” Tally’s voice sounded off in the distance, the door to the bathroom opening as steam slowly rolled out.

“Just telling our little shitbird she’s got this date in the bag.”

Tally rolled her eyes.

“Honestly, you two…” The witch honed in on her two sisters. “Abs, leave Rae alone. She’s got enough on her plate. She doesn’t need your teasing.” She then turned to her sister of the hour. “And _Raelle_ , I’m sure everything will be fine. Just be yourself.”

“Thanks, Tal.” Raelle then turned to her other sister. “And you too I guess.”

Abigail offered an encouraging smile. “Don’t sweat it and here,” she slipped a small folded piece of paper into Raelle’s hand. “If you blank out, just use this.”

Raelle nodded her thanks. 

All things considered, she felt good going into this.

_I guess there’s only one way to find out._

***

Had first dates always been this easy? Not 'easy' in the sense that everything was going swimmingly well, because let me tell you, there were a couple of mental gaffes here and there throughout the night. No, 'easy' in the sense that Raelle felt content and at ease.

Or was the wonderful time spent so far simply because of the brunette that accompanied her tonight?

Raelle already knew the answer.

The blonde had had her fair share of dating several years ago. They never turned into anything serious, and certainly never went beyond the first date... or at least never went beyond the bedroom morning after in most cases. 

She attributed her numerous one-night stands to being a gal that simply didn't want to be tied down, when in reality, she was searching for something... or _someone_ to quell the ache of personal dissatisfaction inside her. There was a hollowness that never seemed to go away, never to be filled with each encounter. Countless women had drifted in and out of her room (much to the annoyance of her sisters), and yet none of them seemed to breathe life into her wandering soul. She thus swore off dating, letting the ache of emptiness persist in the deep recesses of her body, always lingering, but manageable to an extent that she could carry on marching.

But ever since her 21st birthday last summer, the feeling of discontent resurged. She was half-tempted to go back on the dating trail before her student exchange program started, but decided against it. After all, there was no one who could fill the void in her heart.

Then entered a Swedish girl.

Scylla was an enigma that Raelle had yet to crack. The Swede completely unraveled her preconceived notions that there was no one in this world who could make her feel completely whole.

So there they were, coming off from an amusing dinner at the pub and now walking side by side along Orsa Lake. The moon was shining brightly above them tonight, its luminescent reflection bouncing off the still lake as its image cascaded in light ripples.

"So why the military? Surely you could have pursued a medical career outside of it?"

Raelle thought over the question, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm from the cold. How the girl next to her was unfazed by the freezing temperature was beyond her.

"I never wanted to join the military in the first place," she barely whispered as they continued along the path. "All witches are enlisted and if you try to dodge, you get branded as a criminal."

"So why then? I couldn't imagine joining an institution that takes no consideration of our free will," Scylla said, looking appalled.

"My mother..." Raelle halted midstep.

"My mother was all I ever had. She was the one person I looked up to... the one who I waited for every single day outside our porch, hoping she would come back from her deployment early. And then one day, she never came home. All I had left to remember her by was a medal and a generic statement of condolence from the War Office."

Raelle released a heavy sigh.

"I thought if I enlisted, my service would be a 'fuck you' to all the commanding officers of her unit, the very ones that let her die... for nothing."

"But?" Scylla pressed, realizing there was something more to the story.

"Well, I certainly pissed off some of the higher-ups during basic, but I guess I also found a new family, albeit a crazy one at times." She immediately paused, not expecting her rant to go on for so long. "Sorry for venting, I didn't mean to ruin the night."

  
Scylla shook her head, "you didn't." She offered her sympathy before her eyes flashed for a second. Suddenly, she took Raelle's hand and led her through the treeline of the adjacent forest.

"Come on, I want to show you something."

***

Ten minutes later, the girls had encroached along the border of private property, a cabin in the small distance.

Scylla had been scouring the ground, the witch on a mission to find whatever it was she was looking for. Fortunately for Raelle, who was currently freezing her tail off, the brunette spotted something in the near distance and went over to it.

Scylla crouched to the floor, the snow crunching upon impact. With her interest piqued, Raelle peered over Scylla's shoulder to see what the brunette was looking at.

It was a dead rabbit.

The poor thing had succumbed to the below-freezing temperatures of the night. It lay limp on the snow-covered floor, its foot entangled by twine rope from the small animal trap hidden underneath.

Scylla encouraged her to get closer.

She was about to ask what they were doing when suddenly, she heard the most beautiful sound that had ever graced her ears. It was a sound so sweet and filled with warmth that the biting cold had shuttered from her mind. 

Enchanted by the soothing notes of Scylla's seed song, Raelle's eyes widened as thin glowing tendrils protruded from the rabbit's core, intertwining and bonding together to eventually form into a...

_A mushroom?_

"It's a death cap," Scylla explained as she carefully plucked the glowing mushroom from its place. "In the kingdom of plants, mushrooms occupy the underworld. Nothing really ever dies." She whispered against the mushroom and it slowly disintegrated completely. "Life becomes death and death becomes life, it's the cycle that continues over and over in this world."

"My mother is _really_ dead though. She can't be brought back," Raelle's mood soured at the thought.

"I know... and I'm sorry." Scylla tried to console the now dejected blonde. "I just meant that death is more complicated than people think. It's not so cut and dry as you Americans like to say."

Scylla stood up, taking Raelle's hands in hers, their eyes enraptured by the other's for a moment before the brunette spoke up again.

"I know I haven't been one to offer much about my personal life, especially when you've been so open about yourself."

"You don't have to explain things to me," Raelle assured.

"No, but I do," Raelle insisted, the grip on the blonde's hands tightening as if to seek comfort. "It's just that... I've been burned before."

"You can trust me," Raelle's clear voice cut through the whirling wind. "I would never hurt you."

Scylla smiled softly, her eyes warming at the declaration. "I know, Kanin... you're different."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked, amazed that there was no doubt in the brunette's eyes.

"Instead of telling you, let me show you."

Scylla led Raelle out of the treeline, heading in the direction of the small cabin Raelle had spotted earlier.

"This is my place," Scylla reassured her as she subsequently opened the door, allowing for Raelle to take shelter from the cold.

The wind had picked up, its shrieks dying down to a whisper as Scylla shut the door. She navigated the abode with ease, flicking on the lamp lights and preparing the fireplace.

In the meantime, Raelle took a quick look around.

The cabin had a cozy feel to it, no larger than the size of her dorm back on campus. A twin bed rested against one of the logged walls while there was a small space in the middle to walk through. She peeked into two other rooms, realizing there was a small kitchen area and washroom respectively.

"Kanin, you can sit down if you want."

Raelle looked around the room again, realizing there was only one place to sit in the cabin...

The bed.

"Uh, it's alright..." suddenly growing nervous. "I'll just stand."

_Why are you backing out now Collar?!? It's just Scylla._

But that was the crux of the problem... she was dealing with _Scylla_ here, not some random girl she was picking up for the night.

Scylla appeared from the kitchen, holding a couple of mugs in her hand. She had taken off her coat, revealing a beige cashmere turtleneck that highlighted her lithe form. 

"It's fine," she said as she passed the cup of cocoa to Raelle. "You can sit on the bed if you'd like. I don't mind."

Scylla then took a seat, waiting for Raelle to come join her.

Raelle acquiesced, in favor of playing it off cool rather than standing around like an idiot. 

She opted to sit by the corner, barely encroaching the bed.

"So, what is it you wanted to show me?"

Scylla paused mid-sip, taking a moment to think over something before seemingly making up her mind.

Placing her cup by the nightstand, the brunette stood up and walked over to Raelle, her shadow completely hovering over the blonde.

Raelle was completely enveloped by Scylla's presence, only a mere foot separated the two women. Dark blue eyes swallowed her own, placing her in a trance until a subtle movement broke their connection.

She immediately went still as Scylla's hands went for her turtleneck, slowly pulling at the bottom edge.

Raelle tried to look away, but it was already too late, she was once again placed under a spell, simply gawking as the other woman's sweater rode up inch by inch to expose bare skin.

Raelle could only swallow dryly, the heat in the cabin picking up as the flames from the fireplace raged on. As the woman of her dreams continued to strip her clothes, only one thing crossed her mind.

_Oh, Goddess..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Immediate thoughts? All will be explained in the next chapter and don't worry, our favorite blonde gets some eventually.
> 
> This chapter took me much longer to write than I wanted to so apologies on that front. I have One more planned before I move onto my next MFS work. Technically it will be the "final" chapter of this story, but I do have another arc in store whenever I have more time.
> 
> In addition, I have an alternate ending of this chapter that I was initially going to go with but decided against it. It has to do with that little piece of paper Abigail gave Raelle. I've decided to make it a one-shot so be sure to check that out sometime next week!
> 
>   
> Thanks for all the support so far and until next time!


	5. Athame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle and Scylla talk... 

  
  


Time came to a sudden standstill as Scylla finally removed the sweater completely from her person, discarding the article of clothing onto the cabin floor.

Raelle tried to avert her gaze out of courtesy, her ingrained southern roots on full display in an attempt to give the benefit of the doubt that whatever was currently happening, wasn't what the improper thoughts floating in the back of her mind were leading her towards.

Though her efforts were all in vain as she instantly locked onto a surprisingly toned stomach and before she knew it, her eyes gradually traveled upwards to ultimately find...

  
  


She quickly took a sip of her drink, her mouth growing parched.

  
  


The woman before her was clad in a black laced bra. 

The pattern was intricately detailed and with the sheer cup lining, it held a bold elegance that seemed to perfectly match the aura Scylla exuded at that moment. In _every_ moment if Raelle was being completely honest.

And upon further inspection, the undergarment held (and unfortunately hid) the brunette’s firm and shapely - 

“ _Kanin_.”

Raelle snapped out of her reverie as soft fingers curled around her chin, lifting her head up so she was now consumed by Scylla’s entire presence.

The brunette’s desire to maintain eye contact held an intensity rivaling the flames of the wood-fueled hearth. It made Raelle’s eyes drift to the side on reflex as her instincts flashed internally, warning her that any second longer and she’d be burned under Scylla’s heated gaze.

But as her wandering eyes darted around in search of _something_ to ground her back to reality, that was when she spotted it...

At the apex of Scylla’s torso, there was a small indistinct mark resting on the brunette’s chest.   
  


As Raelle continued to stare at the faded blemish, she suddenly had the urge to reach out, fascinated by the bodily imperfection as it held a peculiar familiarity that she couldn’t quite recall.

With her finger hovering over what she now realized was a witch’s birthmark, she held still with bated breath as if in a trance. 

The blonde was clearly drawn in, so enraptured by the mark that she was unfazed by the fact that only a mere breath away, any stray movement would bring her into contact with the pair of breasts she fantasized over.

“I’ve seen this before,” Raelle whispered as her finger finally grazed against the birthmark.

Scylla silently watched as the blonde continued her exploration, shivering at the contact for only a brief and subtle moment.

Neurons were firing off a mile a minute as Raelle searched through her archive of memories both old and recent. 

She was sure she had seen the mark before.

  
  


_But where?_

  
  


Several seconds passed before Raelle’s eyes widened with realization, her hand drawing back from the brunette’s chest to reach around her hip.

She now held the athame in the palm of her hand for both of them to see, surveying one side of the handle before quickly turning it over to inspect the other.

Lo and behold, the same mark that marred Scylla’s chest was expertly pressed against the hilt of the dagger.

“What…” Raelle uttered in disbelief. “Why is your birthmark on here?”

Scylla took the blonde’s question in stride, calmly taking the athame from Raelle’s hand into her own.

Raelle carefully observed the action, admiring the way the brunette unsheathed the blade in one fluid motion as if she had done so thousands of times before.

Clearly Scylla knew something Raelle didn’t as she eventually returned the athame back to Raelle’s hand, a hint of understanding lingering in her eyes as she took up a seat next to the blonde.

“It’s mine… or should I say it _was_ until I gave it to you.” Scylla began softly.

Raelle instantly picked up on the brunette’s muted tone, no longer displaying her confident self, but rather masking her emotions in order to steel herself from forgotten memories that were better worth not remembering.

“Mora witches have a long-standing tradition of crafting their own athames once they are of age. They are tied to our souls and that one right there,” Scylla pointed to the dagger in Raelle’s hand, “is the one that I made.”

“If they’re so important, how come they were being sold at Bjelke’s?” Raelle immediately asked, recalling the large collection of athames sitting at the back of the craft store _._

“It's a little more complicated than that…”

“How so?” Raelle pressed, suddenly intrigued by Scylla’s hesitancy.

“Since athames are tied to our souls, they are also linked to our other halves. The athame acts like a beacon, drawing our other halves to it whenever they are near.” 

“As for Bjelke’s role in all of this, the academy actually owns it,” Scylla answered. 

“Normally when a witch from our coven enters the academy, they relinquish their athame to be put up for ‘sale’ at the store. I guess you can consider it a front.” Scylla smiled at the thought. “While we _do_ sell crafts and supplies, Bjelke’s main purpose is to unite my sisters with their other halves in the off chance they visit Mora; whenever someone not from around here visits our store, we ask them to take a look in the back to see if they react to any of the athames.”

A sudden thought flashed to the forefront of Raelle’s mind. 

She remembered the strange _pull_ that made her seek out the athame. Surely that was just a coincidence.

“If there isn’t a match by the time we graduate, we usually leave the coven to seek out our other half. Our _soulmate_ ,” Scylla clarified as she looked straight into the other girl’s eyes.

Raelle stilled.

“How come you’re still here then? Why did you stay in Mora after graduating instead of traveling the world like your sisters?” She asked in a flurry, not entirely sure why she was so on edge.

It was Scylla’s turn to go quiet.

“Honestly? I didn’t think I had a soulmate to begin with,” the brunette stated as her eyes wandered off to stare at the fireplace.

“Growing up I had no idea who my parents were. All I had was my _mormor_ and once she passed, it was just me… a fourteen-year-old girl who had no one to rely on other than herself. But when I officially joined the coven a couple of years later, I finally found a place I could call home. For someone who had lost the only person she truly loved to eventually find a new family, what else could I possibly want or need?”

“Though I guess things are different now,” Scylla absently remarked, rekindling their connection as she settled on Raelle once again.

A nervous swell swept over Raelle as she dared to even ponder the possibility of an impossibility. The weight of the athame in her hand suddenly grew heavier with each passing second.

“What’s changed?” the blonde asked breathlessly.

  
  


“I think you know, Kanin.”

  
  


Both of their eyes fell upon the athame in the blonde’s lap.

“How can you be so sure?“ Raelle swallowed under Scylla’s searing gaze. 

Scylla chuckled softly as she suddenly closed the distance between them.

“I can assure you, Kanin, there is no mistake...”

  
  
  


“ _You_ are my soulmate, and _I_ am yours.”

  
  
  


“The moment you stepped foot in our store, I knew a witch from my coven was going to find a soulmate in you. I was disappointed at first when you didn’t select any of the athames I initially presented, but then you somehow found _mine_ … the same one that I had thrown away to collect dust after all these years, paying it no attention until I saw it in _your_ hands.”

  
  


“...”

  
  


Out of all the times that the brunette left Raelle speechless, this one had to take the cake. 

After all, the brunette was implying that she had a _soulmate._

The concept felt foreign to her as she mouthed the word silently, not quite ready to actually say it out aloud lest this was some sort of practical joke in the end.

Surely Raelle had done something righteous (at least ten-fold) in her past life in order to have someone like Scylla as her other half. That was the only reasonable explanation running through her head as she looked at the beautiful and intelligent witch beside her.

Scylla smiled patiently next to her, positive emotions radiating off the brunette’s body all around the cabin.

It was only until now that Raelle could see the ardour of devotion in those deep-seated eyes, that willingness to uproot the earth just for her. 

How could she not have seen the signs after these last two months?

But it was this very sentiment and fervor that gave cause for concern as something had been constantly prodding at the back of Raelle’s mind since the life-altering revelation.

  
  
  


Why didn’t she feel the same?

  
  
  


How come she didn’t have those same heart-shaped eyes as Tal did for Gerit and vice versa? How come she didn't feel the strong compelling emotions that other soulmated pairs she’s encountered have displayed?

Don’t get her wrong. She felt _something_ for Scylla. Her attraction to the brunette was unquestionable and personally undeniable at this point. She believed the brunette when she claimed they were soulmates, but why then didn’t she feel complete? Why was the hole in her heart still not filled?

As if reading her mind, Scylla instantly allayed her worries.

“I'm sure you're overwhelmed,” Scylla rested a comforting hand on the blonde’s knee. “I remember it took me a few days to comprehend that I had a soulmate. I couldn’t possibly fathom the idea, but I also couldn’t be happier.”

“It may seem like my feelings are somewhat one-sided, but it's perfectly normal. Soulmates belonging to witches from my coven generally don’t experience the full draw of the bond until the ritual is completed.”

“Ritual?” That got Raelle's attention. The affair sounded awfully ominous even for a modern-day witch.

Scylla spotted the look right away and cast a reassuring smile her way.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds. It's a simple ceremony carried out by the High Priestess and coven Elders. If you ask me it's a bit archaic, but essentially it creates a pact between two souls, officially bonding them together in the presence of the Goddess above.”

  
  


Raelle could only nod in response before falling back onto the plush bed. Her arms splayed out as she stared up into the ceiling, suffering from a mental overload.

She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply for a few seconds before exhaling for four more, falling into a rhythmic pattern as the cabin went quiet.

Scylla reclined back as well, laying on her side with her head propped up by an arm.

“What are you thinking about?”

Raelle reopened her eyes, turning her head slightly. “It’s a lot to take in. Knowing that I have a soulmate."

Scylla nodded, sympathizing completely.

"I didn't think I had one as well," Raelle continued. "Having that one person who could make me feel whole. I still feel that emptiness sometimes, but ever since coming to Mora and meeting you, the impulse to look for that missing piece is no longer there.”

A brief silence swept across the room as they let their words hang above them.

“So _this_ is what you wanted to show me,” Raelle’s eyes darted to bare shoulders before refocusing on Scylla’s birthmark.

Scylla nodded.

"I've been meaning to find the time to explain this all to you," Scylla responded but not before quickly adding, "why? Were you expecting something else, Kanin?” she teased in a sultry manner.

“No.”

_Yes._

Her brunette shot her a look of doubt.

“Okay, _maybe_ ,” she relented, which earned an endearing smile from the other girl... no, her _soulmate_. 

  
  


The tense atmosphere in the room waned as a comfortable air soon replaced it. 

  
  


“Did you have to strip though? Not that I’m complaining,” Raelle suddenly remarked, her reservation in front of her brunette no longer existent.

“I thought you would like the show,” Scylla reasoned as if it was the most sensible thing in the world.

“Oh I liked it alright,” she immediately replied.

Her brunette lightly blushed, the attempt to tease her backfiring beautifully.

Raelle’s mood improved immensely having spotted the red tint, finally being able to get one over Scylla.

They soon settled back into a pleasant silence with Raelle’s fingers playing with the faded mark and Scylla watching over her.

  
  


“So where is yours?” Scylla asked curiously, breaking Raelle out of her concentration.

“Huh?”

“Your birthmark,” her brunette repeated.

“Oh…” Raelle paused for a moment before suddenly rolling around, her back to Scylla as panic immediately flooded her face.

_Fuck... what do I do?!_

“Kanin?” Scylla sat up slightly trying to get the blonde to turn around, but Raelle was determined to shy away from view.

Raelle was suddenly lurched onto her back, feeling a weight against her thighs as Scylla’s legs wrapped around her waist.

“Kanin, where is your witch’s mark?” Scylla asked again, her voice increasingly stern.

Raelle immediately flushed and turned her head to the side abashed.

“It’s…”

“Yes?” Scylla looked at her keenly.

A deep red reached the tips of Raelle’s ears as heat flooded her face.

Her brunette spotted the reaction and huffed aloud in exasperation, but not before smirking.

“Is it here?” Scylla playfully brought her finger to the top of Raelle’s chest, a spark of electricity forming at the contact. 

Raelle shook her head almost painfully, only the thin fabric of her shirt separating Scylla’s touch from her reignited skin.

“How about here?” Scylla’s slender finger trailed further down towards the blonde’s abdomen and rested just above her navel.

“No...” Raelle's voice hitched as Scylla’s finger languidly swirled in small circles, a light stir forming in her lower half.

Scylla subsequently continued her path down with her eyes never leaving Raelle’s, trying to get a read on when to stop.

But to her surprise, she was forced to keep on tracing along the blonde's form lower and lower until she finally reached her soulmate’s pelvis.

“ _Here?_ ” No longer touching, Scylla’s hand hovered just over the blonde’s center. 

Just for a second, Raelle’s eyes veered off to the side, not willing to give a verbal confirmation as she was completely mortified. When she returned her gaze to her brunette, she gasped.

Scylla’s eyes had darkened after coming to the realization of just where Raelle's mark was located.

No longer were the familiar cerulean eyes looking directly into her own, but a darker shade filled with pure desire.

Raelle could only look on as the goddess above her began to unbutton her pants, Scylla's hands grabbing hold onto the waistband to slowly pull it down from the blonde's hips, determined to find what she was searching for.

Raelle could only swallow dryly as she was now down to her underwear, her pants long forgotten. Only one layer now stood between her brunette and her witch's mark.

She was utterly screwed. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


In all sense of the word.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then... Any final thoughts as we wrap up this arc?
> 
> I personally think Raelle was telling the truth when she "jokingly" said where her birthmark was in the show. You can't convince me otherwise XD Oh, and if you were wondering about the store's name, Bjelke comes from Amalia's full name: Amalia Holm Bjelke.
> 
> The long-fic I'm working on is going to be set outside of the US as well, but historically a different period. Any guesses? It's in "Ancient _________."
> 
>   
> Thanks for all the feedback and until next time.
> 
> Vocab:  
> Mormor = Grandmother (from mother's side of the family)


End file.
